
Gambling is one of the most debated issues in the United States. The activity raises concern due to rising addiction rates and associated problems, prompting calls for awareness and intervention measures. However, others see it as a source of entertainment and economic development for young adults who enjoy casino games and promote fairer gambling.
Today’s casino news will examine the Campaign for Fairer Gambling launched in 2023 in the United States to improve gambling regulation and reduce associated harms.
Fairer Gambling: Turning the Tables on Unfair Gambling Practices
The Campaign for Fairer Gambling is a non-profit organization that Derek Webb and his colleague Hannah O’Donnell established. Derek Webb was a prominent player of casino games of poker who invented the famous Three Card Poker game and a researcher of gambling who understands all that the activity entails.
Derek and Hannah were concerned about the ineffective regulation of gambling in the UK and the addiction caused by “fixed odds betting terminals” (FOBTs). Some dealers illegally introduced this electronic gaming machine into the gaming market. They were explicitly concerned about the potential harm FOBTs can cause to gamblers both the mobile and the online casino, which had increased in recent years.
So Derek and his partner decided to establish and fund the Campaign for Fairer Gambling in 2012 for a fairer and more effective regulation. Derek also founded the “Stop the FOBTs Campaign” in 2013. They used a more evidence-based approach to gambling regulation that would consider the latest research and data on the harms associated with these machines. This approach has been practical in regulating the gaming sector in the UK.
Derek Webb decided to launch the same campaign in the US on September 26th, 2023, to combat the use of FOBTs at bookmakers and to protect consumers of gambling products.